Point and Figure charts are one of the great secrets of the Technical Analysis world. Highly sophisticated and with a thoroughbred pedigree, they can, however, be overlooked by traders today. Jeremy du Plessis - one of the foremost Point and Figure experts in the world - returns with a fully updated second edition of this definitive guide in an effort to redress this imbalance.
This second edition, with an extensive revision to the text and introduction of brand new techniques, demystifies the world of Point and Figure charting. It includes a detailed explanation of the history and development of the technique from its invention to the modern day, and covers the makeup of the chart patterns, why they are created, and how to interpret them.
Throughout, readers are encouraged to understand Point and Figure charts from first principles, rather than just remember the names of a series of patterns. It is the first major work for 50 years to discuss in depth the original 1-box reversal method of Point and Figure charting and contrast it with the more popular 3-box reversal method. Further, the explanation of how to use Point and Figure charts to project targets and calculate risk-reward ratios is the most comprehensive ever seen.
Also featured in the second edition are:
- A step-by-step analysis of the FTSE 100 Index using the 3-box method, as well as the NASDAQ Composite Index, using the 1-box method
- A detailed discussion of optimising techniques
- An in-depth chapter on Analysing Point and Figure charts, extensively rewritten from the first edition
- A new explanation of how Point and Figure parameters are chosen and the implications of choosing them
- Two new Point and Figure construction methods never seen before
- Point and Figure's contribution to market breadth, with a look at bullish percent and two brand new indicators
- Full discussion of Point and Figure gaps and how they provide valuable information about the chart
- Lesser known, more advanced techniques such as the use of moving averages, parabolic SAR and Bollinger Bands on Point and Figure charts
- Price and volume activity histograms and how they provide information about support and resistance
All this is illustrated with numerous colour charts and observations from years of trading experience.
According to du Plessis, Point and Figure charts are the 'voice of the market'. This book helps you listen to, and understand, that voice.
Part of the Market Technicians Association (MTA) Required Reading list.
Shortlisted for the 2013 Technical Analyst Book of the Year Award
Jeremy trained as an automotive engineer, then an economist, but gave them both up to become a Technical Analyst. In 1983 he founded Indexia Research and pioneered the development of PC based technical analysis software with the Indexia range of technical analysis systems. During the 1980s he developed a number of technical tools and indicators under the banner of Indexia, which are still used in software to this day. He is an expert on Point and Figure charts, and the Indexia software was the first PC-based system to draw them correctly and clearly in the early 1980s. He lectures the Point and Figure module for the Society of Technical Analysts and sets the Point and Figure syllabus for the International Federation of Technical Analysts. He has taught Technical Analysis, and in particular Point and Figure, to thousands of professional traders and investors over the last 20 years. In 2001, after running Indexia Research for nearly 20 years, he agreed to merge the company with Updata plc, where he is now Head of Technical Analysis and the designer of the Updata Technical Analyst software. He is a Fellow of the Society of Technical Analysts (FSTA) in the UK, and a member of the American Market Technicians Association (MTA). He is a holder of the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) designation awarded by the MTA.
